


A Little Noise Never Hurt Anyone... Yet

by BandraK



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-19
Updated: 2016-06-14
Packaged: 2018-03-31 05:33:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3966289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BandraK/pseuds/BandraK
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma Swan broke the curse... and everything went down hill from there. </p><p>Monsters, wraiths, big bads bent on world domination, kidnappings, torture... and even another curse. Storybrooke has been anything but the sleepy little town it was meant to be. But now things are finally settling down. Emma's even caught on her paperwork... mostly. </p><p>If only it weren't so damn boring. </p><p>There's a reason the saying 'May you live in interesting times' is considered a curse. </p><p>Thing are about to get very interesting.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Not All Silence is Golden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma and Regina don't agree on much, but one thing they do agree on is that when there isn't some Monster, Magic user, or Mess to deal with, Storybrooke can get, well... dull.

It was quiet.

Too quiet.

Emma tossed her half eaten pastry back into the thin cardboard box she’d picked up from Granny’s on her way into work that morning, lifted her heels from her desk, and spun her seat ninety degrees. A quick push against the arms of her chair had her on her feet and the soft scuff of her hiking boots followed her across the room to the large window opposite her desk.

She bent the blind with one finger — the slat giving off a faint metallic clink as it pressed against its lower neighbour — and Emma peered through the opening at the street that ran past the Sheriff’s station.

Quiet.

Too quiet.

Emma let the slat spring back into place and a sigh escaped her lips as she turned her back to the window. There hadn’t been so much as a cat in a tree to deal with in over a week and as glad as she should be that her life wasn’t full of magic curses or magical people trying to kill her and her family — for pretty much the first time since Henry had dragged her to Storybrooke — Emma couldn’t shake the feeling that the other shoe was going to drop any second. And the longer it didn’t, the more anxious she got.

She glanced at the utilitarian clock on the wall and sighed again.

Patrol. She’d go on patrol. If nothing else the fresh air would do her some good.

Nodding to herself, Emma returned to her desk and pulled her sidearm and cuffs out of the topmost drawer, then fixed both into place on her belt before she grabbed her coat and slid it on as she gave the open work-space one last glance. A small frown at the uncharacteristically empty in tray on her desk creased her lips but otherwise everything seemed in order. Emma headed for the door, her hand snatching the remains of her pastry as she passed by.

* * *

It was quiet.

Too quiet.

It always was after her nights with Henry and experience did not make the transition any easier to deal with or accept. She didn’t resent her son for wanting to spend time with his birth mother, in truth, Regina had grown to almost enjoy Emma’s company herself now that the fear of the blonde taking their son away had been put to rest… mostly. She just wished Henry could spend his time with Emma here, in the house he’d grown up in.

It was one of the reasons she’d suggested the now customary weekly ‘family’ dinners for the three of them. Though she occasionally regretted not being more precise as to who _exactly_ she included under the term of family. Still, even Snow and Charming’s occasional appearance lacked the objectability that it once had. She’d even caught herself feeling strangely disappointed when they hadn’t been able to attend the previous week.

Probably because of the additional noise they brought with them. Even the idiots attempts at conversation were preferable to the silence that marked the hours Henry wasn’t here.

At least when the curse — the first curse — had still been in effect, Regina had her duties as Mayor to distract her. Now the office was filled by the same council that had once challenged her back in the Enchanted Forest. Unelected at that. And yet they called her a tyrant

Plus Emma. Not that the blonde wanted to be involved but Snow insisted that, in her roles as both heir to the throne and the Saviour, her daughter be exposed to the tedium that was governing her people. It had lead to some of the more amusing discussions during their shared meals. The ones Emma’s parents didn’t attend.

The smile on Regina’s lips slowly faded as the steady tick-tok of the elaborately carved grandfather clock in her study counted down the seconds until Henry’s return.

A walk. A walk would do her some good. Perhaps she could even time it to meet Henry as he got out of school for the day. Who knows, he might even invite her to dinner. He usually did. Probably because Emma’s idea of a home cooked meal was tossing a frozen meal into the microwave.

The smile returned as she glanced at the clock.

If she left now she’d have just enough time to stop at the market and pick up some supplies. With any luck they’d even have the ale that Emma preferred in stock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Published: 19 05 2015 (19th, June)
> 
> I now as first chapters go it's not the most exciting, but thanks to JadedBlade I have a very interesting plot mapped out... or at least I think it's interesting and I hope you will too after reading the next chapter (and all the ones that follow). 
> 
> Either way, thank you for reading this far.
> 
> Revised: 17 06 2016 (17th, June) - Minor editorial changes


	2. Cursing A Blue Streak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fairy kind existed in the Enchanted Forrest for as long as anyone can remember and for just as long, the Blue Fairy led them, guiding monarch and fairy alike through the ages, making sure that the kingdom survived and the deserving got their wishes granted. 
> 
> Well, one wish each. There were rules after all. And Blue was a stickler for following the rules.
> 
> And now, with the curse broken and fairy-dust once more being mined to power her magic and the magic of every fair godmother — or in the case of Nova, fairy assistant — and Snow once again claiming her birthright as ruler with her husband, Charming, and their daughter, the Saviour, by her side, Blue — also known as Mother Superior — can get back to business as usual. And Fairy business is serious work.
> 
> Deadly serious.

It was quiet. Too quiet. 

"Nova."

Blue waited several seconds before poking her head into the hall outside her office to try again, this time with more volume. "NOVA."

That did it. She could hear the scurrying of feet moving towards her as she turned and walked back to her desk, settling into her austere, high backed chair just as the footsteps skidded to a stop outside her door. Followed, as always by the flustered but inaudible pep talk Nova gave herself every time she was called before Blue.

"Yes Mother Fairy." Nova said as she stepped into view. "Er, Blue Superior. I mean Mother Blue... Ma'am."

Centuries of training allowed Blue to keep herself from both sighing and rolling her eyes. Nova really was the worst fairy to ever godmother. Sometimes Blue almost regretted not letting her run away with that dwarf. Almost.

As it was, she considered Nova a shining example of how Fairydom had gone straight into the midden once they'd run out of colours. Which was why Blue had 'promoted' Nova to the roll of her personal assistant. How better to keep an eye on her and make sure she didn't do anything to besmirch the good name and reputation that eons of granted wishes had earned fairy kind. A reputation that Blue would do anything to protect.

Anything.

"Status report."

"Uhh..."

Blue felt her eyes – and her patience – start to go and forced herself to take a slow, controlled breath.

They should have stopped with Puce.

"You do have them, don't you.?"

"Yes Ma'am."

...

"And?"

"Did you want the fairy report," Nova pointed to the left with both her hands kept at waist height, "or the nun report?" She repeated the gesture to the right.

Blue fixed a smile that could cut glass onto her lips. "Let's try for both, shall we?"

"Yes Ma'am." Nova took a half step back and folded her hands together, palms up, as she pushed back her shoulders and tried to make her back as straight as possible. "The fundraiser for the new expansion of the youth centre is on schedule and Sister..." Nova trailed off for a heartbeat "Carnelian is picking up the final items for the silent auction tomorrow. Sisters..." another heartbeat, "Mauve and Tangerine have picked up all the ingredients for the cupcakes for the bake sale and the kitchen fairies- er, sisters will spend the day before making them."

Nova cast a nervous but hopeful glance towards Blue as she took a deep breath, then continued.

"The miners say they'll meet this month's fairy dust quota a week earlier than expected and want to know if they should keep going to get a head start on next months or... You know," Nova shrugged, "not." She cleared her throat. "Queen Snow has scheduled the next council meeting for the day after the fundraiser and asks that we bring any leftover cupcakes along for snacks."

"Of course she does." Blue said dryly.

"Uh..."

"Go on."

"Right... But was that a yes or a no on the cup cakes?"

"Yes."

"Cool. I mean yes Ma'am."

"Anything else, Nova?"

"Uhm, let's see," Nova ticked the list off on her fingers as she spoke, "fundraiser, silent auction, miners, cupcakes, council meeting, cupcakes again," her voice dipped in volume for the next item, "saviour report... Nope, that's everything." 

She made it three whole steps which was two and a half more than she expected. Either she was getting faster or Blue was tuning her out more than usual. Either way it was still about ten steps shy of what she needed to make the hallway and about a hundred and ten less than she needed before she'd actually have thought she got away with it.

"Not so fast. What was that last one?"

Nova's shoulders slumped as she slowly turned back around. Any though of claiming 'cupcakes' died under the look Blue gave her.

She coughed. "Saviour report..."

"You didn't give me that one."

"I didn't? Are you sure because it feels like I d-"

"Nova."

It wasn't a yell. It was worse than a yell it was a voice that managed to convey in one word a lifetimes worth of both disappointment and disapproval. And fairies could live a really, really, really long time.

"She and the Evil Queen continue to have meals together, both at the Queen's, sorry, Evil Queen's house and Granny's Diner."

"Just the two of them, or is the prince still there?"

"Prince Charming or Prince Henry, Ma'am?"

"Henry, of course. Charming has as much royal blood in him as Pinocchio."

"Yes Ma'am. I mean, yes he, Henry, is still a part of the dinners. Not yes Ma'am, I understand you."

"Nova?"

"Yes Ma'am."

"Go fetch me some coffee."

"Yes Ma'am."

"From Granny's"

"... Yes Ma'am."

Blue turned her back to Nova and waved her hand towards the wall behind her desk. The surface of the wall rippled away to reveal dozens of pieces of parchment tacked to it in various shapes, sizes, and states of decay. Some even blackened around the edges by fires long since forgotten. And on each scrap of parchment, names were written. Sometimes only one, sometimes a dozen or more and even a few that resembled a family tree. And each name was connected by a piece of string, yarn, or twine to another name — more than a few on the same page.

"And close my door on your way out."

* * *

"That'll be a buck-o-five."

"Right, just... one... sec." 

Granny rolled her eyes as she waited for Nova to sort through her handful of coins for the price of a cup of coffee. Exact change was all well and good but not when it held up the line.

"Here you go."

"Mmhmm. Next."

Nova picked up the disposable cup by its cardboard heat shield and stepped out of the line, lifting her eyes from the plastic lid in order to chart her course through the crowd as she turned to leave only to let out a squeak.

"Hey." Emma flashed her a quick grin as she shuffled into place at the back of the line.

"Savi- Sher- Your Hi-"

"It's just Emma."

A nervous little laugh jittered past Nova's lips as she nodded. "Thank you."

Emma's brow wrinkled slightly as she tilted her head to the side. "You're welcome?"

"I have to go."

"Everything alright?"

"Yes. I just, I have... Coffee." The fairy held up the paper cup clasped tight enough between her hands to dimple the sides under her fingertips.

Emma's brow wrinkled a little more.

"Mother Superior is waiting for it." Nova further explained as she edged past Emma, turning her body so that she could keep the cup between them like some sort of talisman.

Or shield.

Emma watched the mousy Sister leave and continued to watch the door until the sound of a throat politely, but purposefully, clearing told her the line had moved up. She turned her eyes forward and closed the gap that had formed during her exchange with Nova. Something was off with that one, something more than the slightly harried state Nova seemed to live in. Emma made a mental note to ask Grumpy if he knew anything the next time he dropped by the station.

"Next."

* * *

"Mum?" Henry slowed down as he spotted his mother waiting for him by the school's gate before hurrying to close the distance between them. "Is everything okay?"

The smile never left her face but the hand at the end of the arm resting across Regina's stomach pressed a little tighter against the base of her ribcage. "Everything is fine, Henry. I was out picking up some groceries and though you might like some company until Emma finished her shift."

"Yeah," Henry nodded, the hint of worry on his face replaced with a grin, "that be great, thanks."

"You're welcome."

The two fell into matching gaits, Regina's hand resting on her son's shoulder as they made their way down the sidewalk.

"How was school?"

"Good. Brier Rose fell asleep during lunch period and face-planted into her mashed potatoes."

Regina glanced down at her boy, his apparent enjoyment of that facet of his day a little upsetting. "Was she hurt?"

"No. Woke up a few seconds later and went back to ask for more gravy."

Her trepidation ebbed slightly. Emma's arrival had triggered so much change in her life, not least of which was breaking the curse, but one thing that had caught her by surprise was the now constant but low grade worry that in the ten years prior to the blonde's arrival, somewhere amongst all the changed diapers and soothed fevers and tamed tantrums, Regina had inadvertently planted a seed of darkness in Henry's heart.

And every time he did something to prove that fear wrong, she couldn't help but feel a little relief and more than a little proud.

"Sounds like something Emma would do."

Henry chuckled. "Nah, Mom hates mashed potatoes. She says what's the point of eating a potato if it's not deep fried."

"Now that definitely sounds like her."

The pair shared another laugh.

"Speaking of Mom and food, did you say you picked up groceries?"

Regina's smile grew. "Yes I did."

* * *

Emma felt her cell vibrate in her pocket and jogged the last few steps to the police cruiser where she put her coffee down on the roof before pulling her phone out. The corners of her mouth tugged up as she glanced at the caller I.D.

"Regina."

"Close." Henry's voice replied from the other end of the line. "Is it alright if Mum comes over for dinner tonight?"

Emma pinched her phone between her cheek and her shoulder as she picked up her coffee while her other hand unlocked the driver side door. "I dunno, Kid." She said through her growing smile. "I'm not sure we've got enough tater tots for all three of us."

"That's okay. Mum picked up groceries today."

Emma pumped her fist, then gave a quick look around to see if anyone had caught her in the act. "Well in that case, the more the merrier." She said as she slipped into her seat, confidant that her moment of celebration had gone unseen.

"Awesome. I'll tell her. Thanks." Henry said in rapid succession before the line went dead. 

Emma slipped her drink into a cup holder, then reclaimed her phone from her shoulder before giving her head an amused shake. The first few time Regina had managed to get herself invited over for dinner after coincidentally buying groceries it had annoyed Emma to no end — further proof that the former mayor still didn't trust Emma to look after Henry. Now... Now she saw it for what it was; a mother wanting to spend more time with her son. And that was a feeling Emma could sympathize with. 

Plus she got a kick-ass meal out of it without raising a finger.

And truth be told, she kinda liked how... normal coming home from a long day at work to smiling faces felt. The kind of normal she'd always dreamed about before the system wore her down. The kind of normal she'd only just started getting used to before the second curse sent her and Henry running from town. The kind of normal Regina had given her in those last few seconds before the roiling storm cloud swallowed Storybrooke whole and sent the only family she or Henry had ever known back to the Enchanted Forest.

Emma looked down at her coffee — her mouth already salivating over whatever culinary delight Regina was planning to cook up — and her hand froze halfway to the cup holder. There on the front passenger seat of her locked police car lay a piece of hastily torn paper folded haphazardly in two.

Her eyes raked over the view outside her windshield.

No-one. 

She picked the page up and unfolded it against the steering wheel. 

_**Watch out!** _

Block letters, no chance of recognizing the handwriting. But was it a warning... Or a threat?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Published: 29 05 2015 (29th, June)
> 
> Here it is, chapter the second. comments and such always welcome. Not sure how long it's going to be for the next chapter but hopefully it won't be too long. Both because I don't want to leave you waiting and because I'm really looking forward to writing out the plot that's bouncing around the inside of my head. 
> 
> One I hope y'all will enjoy.
> 
> Also, never trust the Blue Fairy. She is one shady bitca.
> 
> ... or is she?
> 
> Sorry, had to throw that in there. Couldn't help myself
> 
> Oh, and for anyone wondering, this is set roughly around the mid point of season 3, after Neverland but before Zelena... though with several events changed or omitted so that's not the best reference point but it puts you in the ballpark (and this counts as your spoiler warning if you haven't seen that far yet.)
> 
> Revised: 17 06 2016 (17th, June) - Minor editorial changes


	3. Dinner And A Mystery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma makes a break in the case of the mysterious note... she thinks... and picks Regina's brain over what to do next.
> 
> But not before polishing off several mouth watering platefuls of the Former Mayors cooking.

The note -- warning or threat, Emma still wasn't sure -- had been written on the back of a flyer torn from a nearby telephone pole. She might be in the dark as the to who and the why, but that little detail told her one important detail; it had been a spur of the moment thing. 

That in and of itself still wasn't a hell of a lot to go on but it did tilt the odds every so slightly in favour of it being a warning. People planning to make a threat actually plan it, they don't just grab the nearest scrap of paper and start writing, and people who make threats in the heat of the moment typically need a heated moment to make them in and they tend to make them face to face, neither of which was the case here. 

Honestly, Emma would have preferred a threat. Threats were a lot more straight forward to deal with. For one, if she could figure out the who, figuring out the why would be a snap and vice versa.

As it was, the mysteries just kept piling up. Still, better a heads up than being caught completely off guard.

Emma glanced at the phone on her desk as she silently debated whether or not to call her folks and bring them in on this before she had more to tell them. Or better yet, call home and see what Regina's take on it was. Whoever had left the note had managed to get it into her locked squad car and if Emma's gut was right that it had been a spur of the moment decision on the part of her potential benefactor, that also meant it was unlikely said unknown note writer had a set of lock picks on them at the time which left only one way Emma could see for the note to get into the car -- magic. And Regina was their go to magic expert. At least she was Emma's and given the choice between Regina and Rumple, Emma was pretty certain her folks would pick Regina.

... Nine times out of ten, anyway.

And Regina tended to be a little more level headed about these things while her folks tended to go into overprotective-making-up-for-twenty-eight-missed-years-parent mode. 

Regina it is then. But no call, she'd see her tonight over dinner and until then, Emma would see if she could find anything more to go on. Like who was behind this for a start.

* * *

"Nova!"

The fairy jumped in her seat, Blue's bellow spiking her already elevated heart rate.

"Get in here."

"Oh dear." Nova murmured before getting to her feet. Her hands nervously smoothed down her frock before clasping together tightly at her waist. "You can do this, Nova. You're strong and smart and capable an-"

"Now!"

Nova squeaked, her feet carrying her into the Mother Superior's office without further delay.

"Yes M-"

"Care to explain yourself?" Blue waved her hand over her desk, Nova's eyes following along in its wake over the scraps of papers, scrolls, and reports scattered across the normally uncluttered surface of the desk.

"Umm..."

"Umm." Blue bite through the gentle sound as if it were made of steel, the snap of her jaw causing Nova to jump in her place as the older woman paced from behind her desk to behind the target of her ire. "Is that the best you can do? Umm?"

"Um-" Nova clamped her own jaw shut, her face wrinkling in a wince as the tip of her tongue fell victim to her teeth. "I mead- mean. I mean, what is it you'd like me to explain. Ma'am."

Blue stopped in her tracks, the silence that followed even more unnerving to Nova then the steady beat of unseen footsteps behind her. 

"Do you honestly not know?"

Nova shook her head as hard as she dared.

A sigh, then foot steps that resolved into the sight of blue walking back to her desk. "Why am I not surprised."

Nova chose to treat that question as rhetorical and kept her lips tightly shut.

"This." Blue picked up the cup from Granny's. "How many times have I told you I hate hazelnut?"

* * *

"Honey, I'm home."

"I hope for your sake, dear, that you're talking to Henry." Regina said as she stepped into Emma's view, the brunette drying her hands off with one of the two dish towels the blonde owned. 

"What, you prefer 'pumpkin'?" Emma teased, her smile growing a little more when she caught the flicker of a grin that played around the corners of Regina's mouth before the other woman could catch herself. 

"It's not too late for me to take my groceries back home."

Emma's smile dimmed. "You wouldn't?"

"Try me, 'pumpkin'."

"Mom" Henry battled past Regina as he raced down the hall to wrap his arms around Emma's waist. Mother and son both too caught up in their ritual to catch the heartbeat of loss that shadowed across Regina's face nor the way the towel wrinkled between her fingers as her hand pressed against her stomach. 

"Kid." Emma ruffled her son's hair as had become her custom and he protested in kind before trying to comb his hair back into order with his fingers. She looked up in time to see Regina fold the towel in half. "Something smells good."

"That'd be the lasagna." Henry smoothed down the last misplaced lock as he stepped out of range of a follow up attack -- not unheard of but not a regular part of their routine either.

"Lasagna?" Emma's voice rose in excitement, her gaze dipping briefly to Henry's nodding face before rising back up to Regina. "Lasagna? For real?"

"You'd prefer something else?"

"No!" Both Henry and Emma cried out, the latter taking a step forward as if to stop her promised meal from escaping.

Regina made no attempt to hide her smile this time before she turned to head back to the kitchen. "Good. Go clean up."

"Yes Mum." Henry mumbled as he headed for the washroom. 

"That goes for both of you." 

"Aw, man."

* * *

"Fourths?" It would never cease to amaze Regina how Emma could pack away as much food as she did in the run of a day and still look the way she did. No doubt it was one of the benefits of being the product of true love. After all, love may be blind but that didn't mean it didn't want to look attractive given the chance. Not that Regina had any reason to feel ashamed in the looks department, mind you, but she couldn't help but feel just the tiniest bit jealous as she watched Emma eye the half empty casserole dish while she considered Regina's offer.

At least it felt like jealousy. Maybe envy. 

"Noooo." Emma said uncertainly as she flicked her eyes between her empty plate and what would be leftovers if they made it off the table untouched. "No. Thirds are my limit."

"Henry?"

"Uff." The boy pushed his plate away, half of his second serving still left. "I'm stuffed."

Regina reached out to take his plate away only to have her hand intercepted by Emma. 

"Three and a half's my limit." 

Regina shook her head at Emma's bashful grin and Henry let out another groan as he watched his mother shift his remaining portion to her own plate.

"What?" Emma asked as she cut off a corner with her fork. "It's too tasty to go to waste."

* * *

"Can I watch Agents of Shield after?"

"Depends." Emma replied, one hand contentedly rubbing her stomach as Henry filled the kitchen sink with hot, soapy water -- mostly soap. "How much homework do you have to do?"

"Not much."

"Not much like read a chapter or not much like a book report?"

Henry tilted his head to the side in thought. "Sort of in between."

"How in between?"

"Henry has ten questions from his math book and a chapter in his history book to read." Regina answered for her son before taking her purse off the counter and slipping the strap over her shoulder. "The leftovers, what little there are, are in the fridge. Don't worry about the container, you can return it when you drop Henry off on the weekend.

"Actually," Emma stepped away from the counter, "could you gimme a minute before you go?" 

"How come you get to skip out on washing the dishes and I don't?"

" 'Cause I'm the grown up." Emma said as she gave Henry's hair another tussle. "And because I'm only going to be a minute. The dishes can wait for me to get back and dry them."

She ignored Henry's grumble of discontent as she crossed over to Regina and motioned with her head for the other woman to follow her out of the kitchen.

"You know you don't need to rush out of here." Emma said once she was sure they were out of earshot of their boy.

"I... Thank you, Emma. But I have matters to attend to at home, like putting away my own groceries."

"Oh, right." Emma reached into her back pocket to pull out her wallet. "How much do I owe you for those."

Regina eyed the wallet as if it were poisonous before she looked up at Emma. "There's no need-"

"Please? It's the least I can do in exchange for your lasagna."

"No." Regina pushed Emma's wallet and hand away. "I ate as much- well no, no one ate as much as you but I shared in the meal. Consider it my treat."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"Okay then." Emma stuffed her wallet back into her pocket.

"Is that all you wanted to discuss?"

"No." Emma shook her head, then gave a glance towards the kitchen before heading down the hallway to grab her coat. She pulled the note from the inside pocket and unfolded it as she walked back to Regina.

"I found this in my cruiser today."

Regina took the note, the eyebrow arched in curiosity turned into one of intense concentration with more than a hint of anger.

"What-"

"I don't know. I don't know the who or the why either. But I'm pretty sure whoever it was used magic."

Regina's head snapped up. "Magic?"

"Yeah, the car was locked but it was sitting inside it when I got back from Granny's."

"Well that narrows the candidate list significantly." Regina turned back to the note before she flipped it over to glance at the reverse side of the page. "Two for one frozen yogourt?"

"It was a- that's not important."

"At this point, I don't think we can rule out anything as 'important' unless there's something you haven't mentioned yet."

"No, you know as much as I do but I can't imagine anyone would want to warn me about frozen deserts, can you?"

"Unless it's less about the food, and more about the proprietor." 

"Proprietor?"

Regina looked up again. "The owner of the shop."

"I know what it means, Regina. I was teasing you for going all fancy words on me."

Regina shook her head, the smile that didn't reach her lips glittered in her dark brown eyes for a moment. "Is now really the time to question my vocabulary?"

"Probably not. But I still don't see why some random ice cream lady is going to start dropping warnings into my lap or my car. I barely know her. Besides, she can't do magic... Can she?

Regina glanced down at the sheet in her hand before folding it up again. "Not to my knowledge, no. But you'd be surprised how many of Storybrooke's citizens I'm not on close personal terms with."

Emma sucked in a quick breath and gave a slow nod before speaking. "So assuming we don't have some kind of magical wielding ice cream queen hiding under our noses, is there anyone who you do know that can use magic that we should look into?"

The 'we' didn't go unnoticed but Regina let it pass without comment. Fate had thrown them together enough that she and Emma had worked together often enough for it to be the norm in a situation like this but that didn't stop the flutter from appearing in her stomach every time the blonde treated her not only as an equal, but an ally.

"The Imps out. If he's plotting something he wouldn't risk tipping his hand too soon and he'd want to do his gloating in person if it's too late to stop him. And I can't see him warning us of someone else's plan without asking for payment upfront."

"I was thinking the same thing... But it might not hurt to check on him, just in case someone else got wind of whatever he might be up to but is too scared to come warn us about it in person, right?"

Regina pulled her lips tight as her arms folded under her chest, the way Emma's eyes dropped to track the movement before snapping back to her face gone unnoticed as she considered their options. She'd spent years under Rumples tutelage and knew how his twisted little mind worked better than anyone else ever could or would want to -- aside from his precious Belle and she was too blinded by her inexplicable love for the man to ever see the monster he truly was -- but try as she might, Regina couldn't think of any reasons why Rumple would want to make a move against the Saviour or her family.

She also knew that he couldn't be trusted not to, or rather that he could be trusted to do whatever gave the most benefit to himself and if that included removing Emma from the picture, he wouldn't hesitate one moment longer than it took to make sure he'd succeed. And if that was the case, if he was plotting to harm Emma, Regina didn't like the idea of her poking around Rumple's business. In fact, even if he wasn't up to something, Regina didn't want to give Rumple any reasons to think his life would benefit from Emma no longer being a part of it.

But she also knew Emma and if she told the blonde to stay away from Rumple, the one place she could guarantee Emma would go running to was Gold's shop.

"Perhaps." She said softly. "But let me take the note home and see if I can't identify our mystery magic user."

"You can do that?"

Regina smiled and said, "Dear, there's very little I can't do," then disappeared in a swirl of smoke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm dying to slip in a supernatural reference into this after watching an episode today with Keegan Connor Tracy (our not so beloved Blue Fairy for anyone not familiar with the actress' name) so you may want to keep an eye out for that. 
> 
> In the meantime, mostly just a foundation chapter (sorry) with a few little Swen and Swan-Mills family moments to tide y'all over (I hope) until the plot can really get its legs under it. I did try to work in a "Marry me" line from Emma to Regina over the Lasagna but I couldn't find a way to slip it in that felt organic for this point in the story (so keep an eye out for that as well in a future chapter).
> 
> The only bit of this chapter that I'm I might come back to re-write/remove because I'm not happy with it is the bit about Emma keeping her figure despite all the eating she does. It basically serves to set up the Jealousy/Envy line (which I like and is, actually, more telling than it seems... unless you watch the Simpsons) but it feels a bit clumsy/heavy handed to me so if you felt the same, apologies and I am aware of the issue. 
> 
> And if you didn't... ignore the previous paragraph. Nothing to see here folks, move along. Next update may be a week or so out. Depends how the updates for my other stories go. 
> 
> As always, enjoy. And if you have anything to say, good or bad, please do. Doubly so if it's bad as one of my greatest weaknesses as an author is knowing a plot point but not making that point known in story so what makes sense to me may leave everyone else scratching their head going 'wtf?' and a good poke in the side when that happens would be very, very appreciated.


	4. That's Gonna Leave A Mark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's more to magic than waving your hand and more to family than blood. 
> 
> And sometimes both can explode in your face.

Dust skittered across the cold stone floor; blown about by the breeze stirred up as Regina materialized in the centre of the secret lair beneath her family crypt. She knew she didn't have much time -- regardless of whatever threat Emma was being warned about -- it was only a matter of time before Emma spilled the beans to the two idiots. She appreciated, and was even a little honoured that Emma had come to her first, though finding out it was the possibility of magic being involved that lay behind the Saviour's choice had taken some of the wind from her sails. But first, last, or not at all wouldn't change the fact that Emma took her role as town guardian seriously and since the town was currently -- and in Regina's personal opinion, amateurishly -- run by a cabal of so called heroes, chief amongst them Emma's parents, it wasn't a matter of if, but when the blonde would bring this to the council's attention.

And that would only end badly. Either the suspicion would fall onto Rumple, which could cause the Imp to trigger whatever he might be up to before they could find out what it was, let alone stop him, or it would give him a reason to start plotting something before the Council could move against him. 

And if not on Rumple, suspicion would fall on her. 

None of those options were appealing so Regina had to act fast. She had to find something Emma could work with, some sort of clue that could guide them to what and who ever was behind that note.

She gave the torn piece of paper another glance before tucking it into her coat pocket as she headed for her chest of supplies.

* * *

"Hello."

"Emma?"

"M- om, hey." Emma turned her back towards the couch where Henry sat fixated on the adventures of Phil Coulson and company, and leaned her shoulder against the living-room's doorjamb. "Something up?"

"Did you have diner yet? I made my famous tuna noodle casserole and David and I can bring some over for you and Henry if you'd like."

Emma's nose wrinkled, Mary Margaret had many fine qualities but cooking anything more complicated than toast wasn't one of them and it turns out Snow White wasn't any better. "I appreciate the offer but we ate already. Regina dropped by and made lasagna."

"Regina?"

Shit! 

The hint of accusation in Snow's voice echoed in her ear and the curse bounced around inside Emma's head. While things between her folks and Regina had improved from a stand off to a stalemate, her mother was still sensitive to Emma spending anything more with the ex evil queen than the bare minimum of time required by work and Henry. It had become something of an infrequent but persistent point of contention between Emma and Snow.

"...Yeah."

"Emma-"

"Can we please not do this right now?" Emma pleaded, lowering her voice to make sure Henry couldn't overhear her side of the conversation. She added a "Mom." to sweeten the deal.

The soft sigh from the other end of the line told her it worked.

"I called to remind you that we have a council meeting coming up-"

"I know."

"-and you promised you'd dress appropriately this time so we'll be going shopping during your lunch break tomorrow."

Shit!

That bit she'd forgotten about and hoped her mother's memory would follow suit since, in this case, 'appropriate dress' meant some ridiculously elaborate gown straight out of a Disney movie and *shudder* a tiara.

"Mom."

"Save your breath Emma. A promise is a promise. I'll be by to pick you up at twelve precisely."

Emma turned her eyes to the ceiling again, half tempted to throw Regina under the bus in order to distract Snow but decided against it. With her luck she have to sit through another litany of why she couldn't trust Regina as much as she did only to have to sit through dress fittings anyway.

Why could 't someone have warned her about that?

Ooh, there was an idea. If she told Snow about the note, she could claim professional responsibilities and get out of shopping. Maybe even buy Regina some bounty points with her mom for offering to help...

... Unless Snow assumed Regina was trying to cover her tracks instead. Or Regina couldn't do anything like she thought and came back empty handed.

Yeah. Bad idea.

Emma's sigh told Snow she'd won that round. The sulking, "Fine." simply confirmed it.

"We can stop off at Granny's for lunch afterwards."

"Okay."

"And talk about Regina then."

"Sure, whatev- What?"

"See you tomorrow, Emma. Tell Henry we love him."

"Wait. Snow-"

Emma pulled the phone from her ear and stared at screen telling her the call had ended for several seconds before letting out another sigh.

"Everything okay?" 

She turned to face her son. "Yeah, kid." She made her way back to the couch and dropped down next to Henry, her arm quickly circling around his waist as she pulled him closer to kiss the top of his head. "Your grandma's going to drag me out shopping tomorrow."

"Anything cool?" Henry asked as he turned back to the tv, un-muting the show with one hand while the other reached up automatically to smooth out his hair.

"Dresses."

Henry's snort of amusement earned him a poke in the side.

"Ow."

"Serves you right. And I wouldn't laugh too hard there, junior. It won't be much longer before she starts dressing you in tights and dragging you to council meetings.

"I'll just pretend I'm a superhero. They all wear tights anyway."

Emma shook her head as she turned to the TV. "She'll probably get you the cape too."

"Cool."

Emma gave a snort of her own at his indignant cry of "Hey!" After she gave his hair a double handed ruffle.

* * *

"Cherry root. Cherry root. Cherry root. Where the hell is my cherry root." Regina muttered to herself as she searched through the vials, jars, and bottles that made up the practical side of her magical possessions. At her level of skill, most spells could be worked with little more than a gesture and the will behind it but even the Dark One needed the odd physical ingredient or two for some magics.

And right now, Regina needed cherry root. She could, in a pinch, summon some but there was good reason not too. Interference for one, and given that she was trying to trace an unknown magic back to its source, interaction -- particularly negative interaction -- was already a concern without adding any more magic into the mix than she had to. Even teleporting herself here had been a mistake but she'd never been one to shy away from a dramatic exit. 

Plus she needed to escape Emma's. When it was the three of them it wasn't do bad but when it was just her and the blonde things got... They started to feel... 

She just needed to get out of there. Besides every moment saved in travel was a moment closer to finding out what was going on. 

Assuming they weren't wasted looking for damned cherry root.

She was about to transport herself back to her home and see if she had any there when she finally spied the little bundle of twigs hidden behind a bottle of crushed bloodstone. "Now how did you get there?"

Regina shook the mystery aside. It could easily have gotten misplaced in the rush of their last near catastrophe. Or, more likely, as a result of Emma's complete and utter inability to keep her hands to herself whenever she was in the crypt. Either way, she had what she needed.

It took a few more minutes to prepare the spell, a few shavings of the long sought root blending with the other ingredients, ground into a fine powder between the heavy stone and practised hand of Regina's mortar and pestle. Once done, she pinched a small amount between the tips of her thumb and index finger, rubbing both together to check the consistence and feel the latent magic contained within.

She'd have to get some fresh adder's tongue. Hers was starting to go stale. But not enough that it wouldn't do the job tonight.

Satisfied, Regina dusted her hands off against each other then pulled the note from her pocket and unfolded it and smoothed it down against the surface of the heavy wood table serving as her workbench. A deep breath locked in her lungs as she took another, larger, pinch of the powder and sprinkled it counter-clockwise onto the sheet.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Maybe the adder's tongue wasn't up to the-

The shock-wave knocked her across the room, pain blossoming through her head as she was rammed into the far wall.

* * *

In her office, Blue's head snapped up.

* * *

"Five more minutes?"

"You said that ten minutes ago. Get. Brush you teeth. Wash behind you ears, you know the drill."

Henry sighed heavily as he turned around and headed for the apartment's London bathroom.

"You were so much cooler before you and Mum started hanging out."

"Be sure to tell her that. She thinks I'm still spoiling you." Emma called after his retreating back, a smile on her lips as she clicked the television off. 

Moments like this always left her a little confused. Part of her was overjoyed to finally have her son in her life. To be the mom she never thought she'd get the chance to be. Part of her was still scared out of her mind by it. By the responsibility. Of being tied down. Of the chance she might disappoint him, that she would do or not do something that would make him regret ever finding her.

And a part of her, the part that confused her the most when she first acknowledged its existence, felt guilty for taking this from Regina. For ten years that woman had raised her son, had been the only parent he'd ever know or cared for, and then she'd showed up and stolen it all away. 

Yeah, okay. You could make an argument that it had been the right thing to do. That Regina was evil and had been trying to screw with the kid's head to protect her secret and her curse -- the woman had tried to kill her for god's sake. Not exactly mother of the year behaviour -- but even Emma knew that it was a weak argument at best. Regina was just being a mother. Maybe not the best but far from the worst -- and Emma should know, she'd come across enough of them during her years in the system -- but she'd done what every mother worth the title should do. What she thought best for her kid. 

Misguided as her actions were, Regina had only been trying to protect someone she loved. And given her role models, she could have done a lot worse. And Emma had come in and taken Henry away. 

Which was why she really didn't want to hear Snow badmouth Regina, however politely. Whatever else Regina had been. Whoever she was all those years of the curse, she'd been Henry's guardian. Not in the strictly legal sense, but in the sense of someone who'd risk their own life to protect someone else. And Regina had changed so much over the last year that she was hardly recognizable as the same woman she'd met that first night.

If did could only make Snow see what she saw in Regina...

Her head gave a little jerk as her cellphone buzzed inside her pocket. She was quick to pull it out, another smile finding her lips as she saw the caller I.D.

"I guess you really can do anything. So tell me, oh great and powerful sorceress, what'd you find?"

Silence.

Emma's forehead wrinkled, her body steering itself on autopilot to where her keys hung by the front door."

"Regina?"

More silence.

No, not silence. Breathing. Faint. Laboured.

"Regina!"

Down the hall, Henry's head poked into view, toothbrush handle sticking out from between his lips.

"...Emma... Help."

* * *

"Hey-"

"No time." Emma pushed past Ruby, the heavy sound of her boots clattering against the floor as she ran down the apartment building's common hallway following her out the door.

"O-kay..."

"Hi."

Ruby turned towards Henry, a reassuring smile immediately appearing on her face. "Hey handsome. What's new with you?"

* * *

Blue's jaw clenched, deep red shadows dancing across her face cast by the light flickering over the hand drawn map of story rookie spread out on her otherwise empty desk. 

Someone was interfering with fairy magic.

Someone who should know better.

Someone who she couldn't allow to continue to do so.

"Regina."

"Did you say something, Ma'am." Nova's head appeared in silhouette against the frosted glass of Blue's office door.

"No... Yes. Nova, I have a job for you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY Ruby has shown up. Those of you who've read (and continue to read) my other OUAT stories know that Ruby is one of my favourite Characters from the show to write. Admittedly she didn't get a lot of screen time (it still counts if it's a computer screen, right?) this chapter but she's now officially part of it so... woohoo.
> 
> Meanwhile, I'm semi-optomistic that I can get out two chapters of this next week (but don't hold me to that) so the mystery of what task Blue has for Nova or just how badly injured Regina might be won't be too long in the offing. 
> 
> Otherwise, this was a fairly straight forward chapter. A few easter eggs hidden within (or at least there should be if my google-fu is working) and a bit of a peak inside Emma's head, Regina's too to a lesser extent. Thoughts, opinions, nitpicks, complaints, corrections? Use that lovely little comment button to let me know. I am especially curious is any of you actually want to see the Council meeting (which will probably take a half chapter to a chapter all on its own) so I'd love where you all stand on that if nothing else.


	5. Sticks And Stones May Break My Bones... And Boy Do They Ever Hurt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It may be Emma's destiny to be the Saviour, but this time it's personal. This time it's Regina that needs saving.
> 
> And Emma isn't sure she's going to make it in time.

"Regina!"

Emma's voice echoed off the carved stone walls as it raced her down the narrow steps into the underground chambers of the Mills family crypt, each second without an answer causing her chest to tighten a little more.

"Regina!" 

The semi-polished stonework scrapped at her palm as she pressed her hand against the wall to aide her balance as she quickened her pace -- too much time had passed since she'd hung up on Regina to call Ruby, too much time wasted waiting for her friend to show up to watch over their son.

"Regina!"

She reached the bottom of the stairs and started to run, only dropping her gaze from the path in front of her for a second when the heel of her boot skidded in a thin layer of dust coating the floor. Dust that shouldn't be there. Not this much of it.

"Regina!"

Her arms pumped by her sides, the echo of the heavy soles of her boots beating against the floor as she managed to find even more speed still a distant second to the thump of her own heart in her chest.

"Emma?"

It was weak. So weak it scared her. But it was Regina. And that meant she wasn't too late.

"I'm coming."

She skidded around another corner, having to back track slightly to keep on course but she was almost there now. Almost done wasting time. Just a few more feet. Just a few more seconds.

"Regina." There was relief in her voice now, not just the barely contained panic of her earlier cries and she slid to her knees beside the brunette half seated, half slumped against a wall.

"Are you okay? Are you Hurt? What Happened? Where does It hurt? What can I-"

"Emma." Regina silenced the other woman with a finger pressed against the blonde's still open lips and took a slow breath. "I'm not going anywhere. Slow down."

A tense laugh rattled Emma's chest and reached out towards Regina only for her hands to fall back to her side before she turned around and pressed her back to the wall next to the older woman. "You're either better than you look, or seriously concussed."

"Do I look that bad?"

Emma turned her head for a closer examination. "... No." The small grin on her lips disappeared when she spotted a smear of red on the wall peaking out from behind a matted patch of suspiciously darker hair. "You're bleeding." She rolled back to her knees and took hold of Regina's head, both hands cupping the former queen by her jaw. 

"Ow." Regina closed her eyes against the stab of pain that shot out from the back of her head when Emma began to move it.

"Shut up."

"Your bedside manor is terrible."

Emma pulled the hem of her shirt up to use it as a makeshift cloth to soak up some of the blood so she could get a better look at the wound. "Call someone else next time, then."

"I w- Ow!" 

"Sorry." Emma said, though it sounded more automatic than meant as she adjusted the position of Regina's head, kneeling up a little higher to extend the reach of her shirt so she could wipe away a little more of the disturbing scarlet staining the other woman's scalp. "It looks like it's stopped bleeding but we should get you stitched up just to be sure."

Regina made a sound that could have been agreement or it could have been a grunt of pain when Emma release the firm grip she'd had on her -- the saviour choose to take it as the latter and settled back on her heels -- then slowly eased her head back. Her dark brown eyes opened to a brief, but intimately close view of the saviour's abs before the now blood soaked cloth fell back into place. "Your shirt."

"Don't worry about it. Just gives me an excuse to borrow one of yours."

"You mean steal." Regina corrected.

"I return them." A smile, still tense but at least present, looked back at Regina from Emma's face.

The older woman shook her head, her own small grin gone as apain filled huff of breath cut off their banter.

Emma was back up on her knees, already reaching out to assist Regina by the time a, "What?" left her tongue.

"Nothing."

"Regina."

"I'm fine, Emma. Now that you're here."

"Wow, you really did hit your head didn't you." Emma leaned back slightly, not quite ready to believe Regina was as well as she claimed despite her attempt at humour. "What the hell happened?"

"I'll tell you about it when we get home and I've had a chance to clean up. You too."

"I'll live." Emma glanced down at her top, the fabric already clinging uncomfortably to her skin thanks to Regina's blood. "You on the other hand. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Get me home and I can fix everything."

"No!"

Regina winced, the force of Emma's voice only half of the cause. "Why-"

"No magic. Not right now. Not until we know you're okay."

"I can assure you-"

"No you can't." Emma said, anger warring with something else in her tone. "You can't assure me of anything other than all magic comes with a price and you've already paid yours for the night."

Regina opened her mouth to protest but closed it again when she saw the conviction on the Emma's face. "Fine. Help me up then."

"Not until I know it's safe. Wiggle your toes."

"Emma."

"Wiggle them or we'll both spend the rest of the night right here."

"Some Saviour you are." Regina said only partial under her breath but she made a show of wiggling her toes, the tips of her expensive leather shoes -- now scuffed beyond repair in the accident -- shifting enough to prove she could.

"Fingers next."

"Really?"

"I've got all night. Ruby's on Henry duty."

"I thought we discussed using her services as a babysitter."

"You'd rather I got Snow and David to do it."

Regina lifted both hands and waggled her fingers.

Emma gave a small nod, but ignored the hand Regina held out for her to help the other woman up. "Lean forward."

Regina rolled her eyes again. "Should I role over and play dead next?" She asked, more than a little sarcasm in her voice as she tilted her torso towards her toes.

"Don't you dare." Emma crawled a little to the side, then reached behind Regina. One hand carefully pulled the brunette's coat up and out of the way while the other hand slowly and gently ran up one side of Regina's spine then down the other.

"Anything hurt?"

"No, Dear."

"Fine. Sit up."

Regina complied, but not without comment. "Are you planning to have me turn my head and cough, next."

Emma's cheeks warmed a shade or two. "Something like that."

"What- Emma!"

"Relax, I'm just checking for cracked ribs." Emma, head ducked too low for Regina to see her face or for her own eyes to follow the path of hr fingers as the ran up Regina's side... Well, mostly her side. "It's this or a possible punctured lung."

Regina made another sound. Again, Emma chose to interpret it as agreement.

"Just how many ribs do you think I have, sheriff?" Regina asked several moments later.

Emma tried to ignore the hint of amusement in the other woman's voice as she settled back on her ankles once again and wiped her palms dry on the legs of her jeans before she reached out to offer Regina a hand up. "None that are broken. But you're still hanging on to me until we get back to the car."

"Your car? Perhaps we should call an ambulance instead. Or a hearse."

"Head injuries don't make you funnier, you know that."

* * *

"Remind me to have you impound this 'vehicle' in the morning."

"You do remember you're not the mayor anymore, don't you?"

"Yes, dear. I am more than cognizant of the fact that I have been relegated to the role of powerless commoner in _my_ own town."

"At least your vocabulary isn't broken."

Nova watched the Saviour and former queen bicker like, well, an old married couple as Emma helped Regina into her infamous yellow car and tried not to smile at the concern in the blonde's voice clear even across the length of the cemetery to the edge of the surrounding woods where the fairy was hiding out until the coast was clear. 

Even then, she waited a good five minutes after the the rumble of Emma's car had faded into the night before she set out for her destination, darting from tombstone to tombstone as she made her way to Regina's family crypt. 

She eyed the doorway, still left open a crack in Emma's rush to get Regina cared for, then looked back over her shoulder, not for the first time wondering if she could report back to Blue that she didn't find anything without actually looking. 

She couldn't, of course. Nova knew that as deeply as she knew that she was, all things said an done, a terrible fairy. She was nervous and clumsy and felt things too deeply and let her emotions get the better of her and now here she was about to invade the Evil Queen's secret lair in the dead of night and all because...

Nova sighed, pulled her shawl a little tighter around her shoulder, and stepped through the doorway, making sure it didn't close behind her.

It only took a few minutes to find what she was looking for, what she'd been sent for. the footsteps to her goal clear -- if smudged by haste -- in the thin layer of dust that coated the floor.

It took longer for her to gather up the courage to pick it up once she had. The edges of the paper singed where fairy and dark magic had come into conflict so violent and powerful it had nearly felled the woman that had once terrified an entire kingdom.

"Nova, what have you gotten yourself into?" She mumbled under her breath as she bent to retrieve the note.

* * *

"Thanks Rubes."

"Any time Em."

Emma caught the glance Ruby made toward her living room as the two reached her front door. "I'm fine."

"I didn't say anything."

"And I'd like you to keep it that way."

"So... no telling Snow."

"Or David."

"I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself in my own home, Miss Swan." Regina's voice called out."

"Good luck." Ruby shot off one last grin before she slipped out of the apartment.

"Thanks." Emma closed the door behind her. "I'll need it."

"Did you hear me, Swan?"

* * *

"For the last time Regina, you whacked your head. You might have a concussion and I'm not going to leave you alone until we know for sure. You're the one that refused to go to the hospital."

"Because everyone in that building got the entirety of their medical knowledge from a curse. They're as much experts in their fields as you are."

Emma shrugged off the insult-by-proxy as she settled onto the couch a half cushion from her patient. "Then I guess I'm as good a choice as any to keep an eye on you."

"Hmph. This wouldn't even be an issue if you'd just let me use magic to heal myself."

"No Magic!" Emma picked up the remote and flicked on the tv, then started to browse through the guide. 

"Why not."

"Because the last time you used magic you nearly killed yourself."

"It was a few bruises and one cut."

"Do you need to see my shirt again? Or the towels?"

"Guys." Henry's head popped into view proceeded quickly by the rest of him as he stepped into the living room. "If you're going to be this loud, can I stay up with you and not get any sleep sleep instead of not getting any sleep in my own bed."

Emma and Regina exchanged a sheepish look. "Sure kid, just be gentle. You're Mum's pretty banged up."

"I'm nothing of the sort. The only reason I called you at all was because I was temporarily disorientated by the-" Regina cut herself off when Henry, now happily in place between them, looked up at her.

"Kid, cover your ears."

"What?" Henry's head snapped around to face Emma. 'Why-"

"Cover up or go back to bed."

"Fine." Henry loosely placed his hands over his ears.

"Hey." He protested when Emma added her own over his.

"I know that trick, kid. I invented that trick."

A "Hmph" very much like Regina's blew through Henry's nose.

Emma tightened her grip just enough to ensure their conversation was muffled from their son and turned her attention back to Regina and -- just in case -- whispered, "You were saying."

Regina gave Henry a cautious once over. "The tracking spell reacted more strongly than I was expecting."

"You may not be Queen of the Enchanted forest, anymore. But I think you've got a good shot at Queen of the understatement."

A scowl framed Regina's lips. "Do you want to know what happened or not."

"Sorry. Go on."

"I..." Regina paused to collect her thoughts. "I think there may be some sort of counter charm on the note."

"Counter charm?"

"Yes." Regina shifted her position. "A spell that reacts to anyone trying to use magic against it. Though in this case, and from the power of the reaction, I think counter curse might be more accurate."

"Another curse? Great."

"You can relax, Dear. This curse has no lingering effects. It's designed to warn people off."

"It nearly killed you. That's more than 'warning' you off."

"I'm fine. I'd be even better if-"

"No magic."

Regina sighed.

"So whoever put that note in my car did it with magic and they're smart enough to know we could trace it without this counter curse in place."

"So it would seem."

"Which means we're right back to square one. No idea who sent it or how to find out."

"I wouldn't worry too much." Regina reached for the glass of water and bottle of generic aspirin Emma had set out for her before walking Ruby to the door.

"Why not."

"Because whoever warned you isn't your average practitioner. A reaction like that takes no small amount of magical power on their part which means we've narrowed our list of candidates considerably. And given that they're concerned enough to warn you, we may have an ally who can actually do something for once." Regina tossed two pills into her mouth and followed them up with a gulp of water.

"Again, they almost killed you, Regina. I don't think their concern for me is something we can count on."

"It wasn't you casting the tracking spell."

"No, it was you." Emma's voice returned to its usual volume. "You got hurt helping me."

"I wasn't helping just you. I was helping Henry too. Anything that endangers you, endangers him."

"Same goes for you."

Regina turned to find Emma staring at her. "I'm fine."

Emma took a hand off her son's head. "How many fingers am I holding up." 

"One."

"And now?"

"Three,"

"And now?"

"Two. Are you convinced yet or do we need to continue this little game."

"I'm sorry."

"I've long since accepted your perpetual immaturity, Dear."

"Not about that. I'm sorry you got hurt."

Regina turned back to the tv. "You came when I called you. We're even."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is... at last. The hold up was Nova's scene. Originally she was supposed to 'accidentally bump into' Emma and Regina and set up a little subplot (that may or may not appear in later chapters but hasn't in this one) but in writing this, she got sort of, well, left out. So after several days of banging my head against the wall I decided to modify Nova's part here, and include a follow scene in the next chapter (which may or may not also be ready today but will - fingers crossed- not take as long to get posted as this one did either way.
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoyed it and any questions, comments, nitpicks, or corrections just hit that little button down below and let me know. Thanks. 
> 
> Oh, and for anyone wondering, the next chapter of _If You Go Down In The Woods Today_ I'm hopeful that that will be up either today or tomorrow.


	6. Who Says Sleepovers Are Only For Kids

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regina's got a nasty crack to the back of her head and it's Emma's job to make sure the former mayor doesn't have a concussion by keeping her awake for the next 24 hours. 
> 
> Some how a rousing game of Parcheesi just doesn't sound like it's going to cut it.

"Did you find it?"

"Yes Ma'am."

"Give it to me!" Blue stretched her arm out across her desk, her hands clasping and unclasping impatiently.

"Yes Ma'am." Nova held the paper out, the end quivering in the air in time with the tremble in her hand.

If Blue noticed, she said nothing as she snatched the page away from her assistant and clutched in her own.

"This is it?"

Nova cringed at the edge of confusion in Blue's voice. A confused mother superior was never a good thing. "Yes Ma'am"

"You're sure?" Blue looked up. "You're absolutely certain?"

"Yes Ma'am!"

The elder fairy looked back down at the sheet. "I was expecting something...

"Yes, Ma'am?"

"Nothing." Blue shooed Nova towards the exit as she turned her back to the younger woman. "You're dismissed."

"Yes Ma'am." Nova wasted no time in heading for the door.

This was it? This was what the Evil Queen had been interfering with? From the disturbance Blue had felt, she'd been expecting something bigger. A misplaced wand, an ancient prophecy, or even pure fairy dust. Not this. Not a torn up flyer with a warning scribbled across it.

The warning was troubling in its own right and would have to be looked into -- and that presented a world of headaches all on its own since all fairy magic came from the same source and even she couldn't tell one fairy's work from another; unless it was Nova's in which case the mess it made was usually enough -- but this...

ThIs was it?

Maybe there was more to it than met the eye.

Blue waved her hand over the wall behind her desk and it dissolved to reveal not the tangled web of string and documents that Nova had glimpsed earlier, that wasn't important enough to hide its existence from her, but a stone arch and an aged darkened wooden door held together by wide, black bands of hand beaten metal.

Time to run a few tests of her own.

* * *

Henry was laid out across both their laps -- head on Emma, feet on Regina -- and had been for the last hour from when he'd fallen asleep not twenty minutes after joining them on the couch. His back, by mutual and silent agreement on the part of his mothers, turned toward the flickering light of the TV in the otherwise dark room.

"You really don't need to stay up with me?" Regina whispered, her left hand gently rubbing just above Henry's ankle while her right propped her head up with the aide of an elbow dug into the arm of the couch.

Emma shook her head, a sigh equal parts exasperation and amusement slipped from her nose. "For the last time, Regina. You hit your head; you have to stay awake for at least the next twenty-four hours to make sure you don't have a concussion and I'm going to make sure you do."

"And for the umpteenth time, _Emma_ , I'm the one that has to stay up. Not to mention that at least one of us will need to be well rested and alert if we're going to have any chance of finding out what this threat we're facing is, let alone stopping it from happening."

"I'll be fine. A couple of cups of Granny's coffee and I'll be better than ever. Besides, do you have any idea how many stake outs I've been on. Compared to being stuck in a cold, cramped car with nothing to do but wait; being here all warm and well fed and comfortable with the best cable package Storybrooke has to offer is a piece of cake."

Regina rolled her eye and immediately regretted it as a sharp jolt of pain hit her temples. She glance over at Emma to see if the other woman had noticed only to see her with her head tilted and eyes focused on some unseen spot behind the TV.

She let out a sigh of her own. "You're thinking about cake, aren't you?"

"No." Emma sat up a little straighter.

The former mayor caught herself before she rolled her eyes again. "Well if you ever did, I could conjure one up for you."

"No magic."

* * *

Henry had been relocated to his bed by Emma two hours earlier while Regina took a bathroom break and both mothers had returned to the couch to take a seat at either end, the middle cushion between them an empty no man's land.

"Regina?"

"Yes, I am still awake." The older woman replied without opening her eyes. The low-budget late-night fare playing on the TV not worth the headache caused by staring at the light from the TV to keep them open.

"Then you won't mind looking at me while we talk."

Regina drew a breath in through her nose, held it for a moment, then let it sigh out before she carefully turned her head to lock eyes with Emma. “Happy?”

“How's your head?”

“Not as good as it was twenty seconds ago.”

Emma ignored the edge of accusation in Regina's voice as she got off the couch and crossed over to the television. “You need some more aspirin?” She asked as she grabbed the bottle of the top of the TV stand. The bottle open before she started back to the couch and two pills already tapped into her hand by the time she was standing in front of Regina.

“What I need is magic.” Regina took the pills out of Emma's hand. “But these will have to do.”

“Regina-”

“Don't. I'm well aware of your position, Miss Swan, and were I in a mood or state to explain to you all the ways you were wrong, we would still be having this conversation come sunrise.” She tossed the pills into her mouth and took a sip from the still unfinished glass of water resting on the end table by her half of the couch. “But since I'm not, I'll abide by your ridiculous restriction and my suffering can be your punishment for putting me through this unnecessary misery.”

Emma dropped back a step, her hands disappearing behind her back as she looked down at the floor. “If that's how you feel...”

 _Dammit_ Regina dropped her eyes to the half empty glass of water. “I'm didn't mean to snap at you like that.”

“No, it's fair. You're probably right-”

“I'm always right.”

Both woman shared a glance followed by a brief chuckle.

Emma's forehead wrinkled in concern. “Is it really that bad?”

“I've had worse.” Regina waved off the other woman's sympathy. “It's not your fault, Emma-”

“Isn't it?”

“No.” Regina reached out with her free hand to pull the other woman closer but Emma's hands were still out of sight behind the blonde's back. Instead she patted the cushion next to her in invitation.

It took Emma a few seconds to accept the offer. Even then she left several inches between them.

“As I was saying. It's not your fault Emma. I should have been more careful. I'm more mad at myself for my own stupidity than I am at you.”

“Can I quote you on that?”

Regina laughed alone this time, but a glance showed signs of a faint smile on Emma's lips.

“Only if it will stop you feeling guilty.”

“Yeah, I don't think that's going to happen. I'm the Saviour, I'm supposed to-”

“To what, Emma? Save me? Please don't tell me that's what you were going to say because if it was, so help me, I will walk out that door right this instant rather than sit here and listen to your self flagellation over your perceived failure to contend with forces beyond your control.”

“Regina-”

“No, Emma. You wanted to talk so lets talk. I chose to perform the spell. I was the one who didn't take the necessary safety precautions. Our mysterious benefactor is the one that put the counter curse in place and our still unknown antagonist is the one who set this whole series of events into motion. Tell me what you could have done that would have changed any of that?”

Emma shrugged. “I could have gone with you.”

“And have the both of us injured? Leaving Henry with no-one to watch out for him when whoever is after you decides to strike. How is that any better?”

“I should have-”

“No, you shouldn't. You can't save everyone. And even if you could, you can't save someone until there's something to save them from.”

Emma looked down and only then did Regina realize her hand was resting on the younger woman's thigh. Before she could pull it away, Emma's came to rest over it.

“You know, you keep talking like that and I might think you like me.”

“Heaven forbid.”

This time Emma laughed alone.

“You know, I've never done something like this?”

Regina felt her hand tighten under Emma's. “Like what, exactly.”

“This... girl talk late at night. There weren't a lot of homes where we could get away with staying up past lights out and...” Emma looked up at the television, “and I wasn't exactly popular with the other kids. I never got to do the whole gal pal... sleepover thing.”

The last words were little more than a whisper and before Regina had a chance to react, Emma had pulled her hand away and gotten to her feet. “Bathroom break. You need to go?”

“No.” Regina pressed the hand still warm from Emma's against her stomach. “I'm fine where I am.”

* * *

The grade B -- in Regina's opinion, D and saved only from an F because they had, in fact, regrettably not managed to fail in getting the Swiss cheese plot and cardboard characters onto film -- movie had ended ten minutes earlier and Emma had spent every one of those ten minutes flipping through the channels looking for something else to watch. She'd made it through her vaunted cable package seven times.

And not said one word since returning from her last bathroom break.

“Emma-”

“You're right. There's nothing on. Want me to put on a dvd instead? I don't have much of a collection but the Marvel flicks aren't half bad and that Captain America looks pretty good in his uniform. Out of it too.”

“What, no. Fine. Whatever. I wanted to talk about what you said earlier.”

“I know, I know. I can't save everyone and I don't need to feel guilty. I get it.” Emma got off the couch as she spoke and crossed over to the small shelf next to TV stand to find one of the comic book movies to put on.

“Not that.”

Emma paused, her breath held in her throat for a heartbeat before she continued to thumb through the plastic cases. “Oh?”

“Yes. What you said about, and I think we can find a more adult term for it but until then, about 'girl talk'...” Regina dipped her head to watch her fingers pick at each other in her lap. “I... never had that either, growing up.”

“I figured.” Emma said not half as quietly as she imagined. 

“Why?”

Emma tapped the case for the 'First Avenger' against her forehead and silently cursed her big mouth. “Nothing.”

“Don't do that. I think we're past the point where we can't tell each other the truth. And it's not like I can throw a fireball at you if you say something to upset me, I'm banned from using magic.”

“If you want to play truth or dare, all you have to do is ask.” Emma said, hoping to avoid explaining herself. Cora was a touchy subject with Regina -- and rightly so, Emma thought, even without her own mother's involvement in the untimely death of Regina's mom.

“Alright then.”

Her head snapped around to find Regina, hands folded on her lap, perched on the edge of her cushion as she looked back at Emma.

“What?”

“I said yes. Lets play this game of yours. It's bound to be more entertaining than watching fictional characters blow each other up for the umpteenth time and far more likely to keep me awake than Chris Evan's abs, however perfect they may be.”

“You can't be serious. Regina, I was joking.”

“I'm not.”

The two stared at each other, neither one flinching, neither one looking away for several long, silent, moments. 

“Alright.” Emma said, the dvd case shoved back onto the shelf as she stood up. “But if we're going to do this, we're going to do it right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with this things are more or less back on track. One more chapter should get us through to tomorrow so Snow's mother/daughter shopping trip (and interrogation) are just around the corner. That is, if I can get the pacing on this next chapter smoothed out a bit.
> 
> You know the drill, folks. Comments, questions, and complaint to the button below, and as always, I hope you enjoyed it.


	7. Truth Or Dynamite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The night continues and Emma is doing her best to keep Regina awake in case she's suffering from a concussion, even if that means *gasp* a game of *dun dun dun* _Truth or Dare_
> 
> Regina might not be the only one suffering before the night is over.

“Does 'right' have to involve quite so much butter?” Regina asked, eyeing her hand in a mix of distaste and curiosity as she took in the thin layer of grease that coated her fingers after just one sample from the oversized bowl of popcorn Emma had brought back from the kitchen.

“Oh god, you're one of those people who say 'no butter' at the movies, aren't you?”

Regina grabbed one of the paper napkins Emma had thought to bring with her and started to wipe her hand clean. She looked up to catch Emma cleaning her own hand with her tongue and shook her head. 

“One, is that your first question. Two, you aren't allowed to put that hand back into the bowl without washing it.”

“Why, you afraid I'll give you cooties?”

“That's two. My turn.”

“Uh-uh. We haven’t' started yet and even if we had, you didn't answer either of them so they don't count. Besides, everyone knows you start off with a dare to break the ice otherwise everyone just takes truth and it gets boring.”

Regina arched an eyebrow. “I thought you said you've never done this before.”

“I- okay, maybe once or twice but I never stuck around long. Hanging around with people who don't want you there isn't how I like to spend my time.”

“Really? Because I'm almost certain I made it abundantly clear that I wanted you out of Storybrooke the first night you arrived.” Regina smirked at Emma as she picked out several puffed kernels individually and laid them on the double layer of napkins covering her palm.

Emma gave Regina's hand a pointed look, shook her head, and sighed. “I remember you showing up at my door with a basket of apples. Clearly you wanted me to stay even if you didn't know it yet.”

“And as I remember, you answered the door in what could generously be called your underwear. What does that say about you, dear?”

Emma's hand froze half way to the bowl between them. 

“Based on your own analysis of my actions, it would seem to me to indicate that you are either an exhibitionist, or that you were trying to tell me something about your own desires, whether you knew them or not. Possibly both."

“I was hot.” Emma said, her hand re-routing itself to her glass of coke on the rocks.

Regina's smirk grew.

“I mean I was feeling hot. The thermostat in that room was busted or something, I swear.”

“If you say so, Dear.” Regina dipped her eyes briefly to help pick out the few pieces of popped corn not drenched in butter. “Yes and no.”

“What?”

“The answers to your questions. Yes, I am one of those people that says no to butter at the movie theatre and not just because it's as far as one can physically get from butter while still being remotely edible, and no, I don't think you'll give me cooties. If your examination of me back at the crypt didn't, this-” she nodded towards the popcorn, “Won't. I'd just prefer not having to wonder if the liquid clinging to the food I put in my mouth is a half pound of butter or your saliva.”

“Eww.”

“Exactly.” Regina tossed two kernels into her mouth, shifting them to the side so she could continue talking. “Which means you now owe me two and by your own ruling, You must start with a dare.”

Emma paused in the middle of wiping her hand with a napkin to point at Regina. “No fair, you didn't.”

“True, but I'm injured and you're not so I get special considerations.”

Emma laughed. “Cheater.”

“I believe you can forfeit if you don't want to complete the task.”

“Oh no, you're not winning that easily. Dare away.”

“Very well.” Regina tossed a few more kernels into her mouth and chewed them while she thought. “I dare you to... eat a balanced diet for one week.”

Emma rolled her eyes before pointing them at Regina. “You can't dare something like that.”

“Why not?”

“Because it's boring for one and because you have to be able to do the dare during the game.”

“Again, you seem very familiar with the rules for someone who's rarely played the game.”

“Just come up with a better dare already.”

“And you call me a cheater.” Regina stage whispered. “Fine, in that case I dare you to... spend the rest of this game in the same attire as when I brought you those apples.”

If she hadn't been expecting it, Regina would have been covered head to waist in second hand soda pop. As it was, she still needed to dab a few drops off her arm where she hadn't leaned far enough out of the kind of fire.

"What!"

"Unless your intention is to wake up our son, I suggest you try to keep your voice down, Dear." Regina replied dryly as as checked the top layer of popcorn for collateral damage before declaring it safe — if still overly buttered — to eat. "As it is, you may want to fetch a mop before that has a chance to dry."

"Regina?"

Trying very hard not to smile, Regina looked up to find a red cheeked Emma looking back at her. "Yes, Dear?"

"You- what the hell, Regina?"

"Again, Miss Swan, and while it may be amusing to watch you try to explain why we appear to be having a party without him, volume."

"Regi-"

"That isn't helping my head ache, in case you were wondering."

Emma let out a sigh, then took a deep breath and held it for several seconds. "Regina," she said a touch above a whisper, "Seriously?"

"You can al-"

"If you say I can always forfeit, so help me I'll..."

Regina leaned forward, a smirk finally made it past her guard to coil around her lips. "You'll what?" Her smirk grew larger as she watched Emma struggle for an answer. Until, that is, she saw a smile spread across Emma's face.

“You're bluffing.”

“Am I now? And what makes you think that.”

“Everything. This is all just part of some plan to get me to leave you alone so you can magic yourself better.” Emma replied in a mix of smug pride at having figure out Regina's Machiavellian plot.

Regina leaned back. “I see.”

“So you admit it.”

“Not in the least.”

“I thought s- what did you say.”

“I said, 'not in the least'.” Regina leaned back a little more, one hand behind her to support her weight. “As in, that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard, Emma. Really, If I wanted to use magic you think your little moratorium would stop me.”

“But...”

“But nothing, Dear. The only thing stopping me from using magic is the fact that I promised you I wouldn't and while the evening up to now has been, shall we say, mixed, as far as enjoy-ability goes these last few minutes have more than made up for it.”

Emma blinked, her mouth half open as she tried to wrap her head around what Regina was saying.

“Oh come now, I can't be the first person that's tried to talk you out of your pants, Emma. Henry wouldn't be here if I was.”

“Henry.” Emma blurted, another smug smile finding its way to her mouth as she pointed a finger at Regina. “Ha, you almost had me there but I know there's no way you'd risk having to explain to Henry why I'm wandering around in my underwear so you are clearly up to something even if I'm wrong about what it is.”

Regina eyed Emma for several seconds, then straightened up and dusted her hands together. “You've got me.”

“Knew it.”

“I see know why you make such an excellent Sheriff with detective skills like that.”

“Thanks... Wait, you're being sarcastic, aren't you.”

“Not in the slightest.” Regina replied as she picked out several pieces of popcorn, dripping with only slightly less sarcasm than her voice. 

Emma scratched the back of her head. “C'mon, 'Gina. You weren't really serious about that dare, right?”

“Would it matter if I was, giving that you have made it patently obvious that you have no intention what-so-ever of performing it.”

“I-” Emma started to speak, then stopped as she looked over her shoulder. “But... Henry.”

“Henry is either fast asleep right now like we both should be or he's wide awake and fully aware of everything we've been talking about. Either way, Henry isn't the issue.”

“... And what is?”

Regina fixed her eyes on Emma's. “That's what I would like to know. This was your idea, Swan. You're the one that suggested we have a girls night to keep me awake, you're even the one that suggested we place this childish game _and_ insisted that we take dares to being other wise we, how did you put it, oh yes 'everyone just takes truth and it gets boring' so I'd like very much to know what the issue is.”

Emma was silent for several moments before she dropped her eyes to the bowl. “Technically I said you only had to ask if you wanted to play truth or dare, I didn't actually suggest it.”

A heavy sigh filled the space between them.

“Look, I just... C'mon Regina. You know that you would never ask me anything like that if you hadn't gotten smacked in the head so forgive me for thinking you had to be up to something. Next time you ask me to strip down to my bra and panties I'll just assume brain damage, okay?”

“Oh I can assure you, Miss Swan, there will be no 'next time'.”

Emma looked up in time to see Regina pushing herself to her feet.

“Regina-”

“I'm going to the washroom so unless you think I'm planing to escape out the window or you plan to watch me for any more signs of 'brain damage' while I pee, you can keep yourself busy by queuing up Chris Evan's abs.”

Emma held her tongue as she watched Regina stomp — actually stomp — out of the room.

“Way to go, Swan.” She mumbled to herself once she heard the bathroom door close quietly but firmly, then rolled onto her knees and crawled over to her video collection. “Don't suppose you can save me from putting my foot in my mouth, huh Cap?” She asked the cover image of America's first Avenger before she snuck a peak towards the doorway, then glanced down at her stomach as she quickly pulled her top out of the way.

“My abs are just as good as his.”

* * *

Emma had spent the first half of the film watching Regina more than the TV screen. Almost entirely by Regina's reckoning, save for the first few minutes when Emma had attempted to cajole her into a conversation by commenting on the first few scenes before she gave up for her current approach of watching Regina watch the movie.

The thing was, Regina wasn't even angry at Emma. Well, she was, but not nearly as angry as her continued silence made it seem. Her short trip to the bathroom had still been long enough for her to realize how ridiculously overblown her reaction had been. Emma was right, under any other circumstances, Regina would never have asked her to do something like that. Certainly not with Henry just down the hallway. Not even with Henry in another building entirely. And on top of that, Emma was only trying to help her. Yes, not wanting Regina to use magic was being more than a little overprotective but she could understand Emma's position even if she didn't agree with it and the fact that she hadn't used magic proved that, at least on some level, she did. And Emma was sacrificing her own chance for a full nights sleep just to keep an eye on her to make sure she was okay.

So why had Emma's refusal stung so much?

That was the source of Regina's continued irritation. She couldn't answer her own question.

Yes, it had been more than a little amusing to watch Emma's reaction to her dare at first. Even Emma's reasoning over Henry had been entertaining in a desperate-grabbing-for-straws- kind of way.

But somewhere along the line something had snapped inside Regina and before she knew it she was angry and she was letting it out- no, taking it out on Emma.

Emma who was already in danger. Emma who had been practically crying back in the vault she was so worried about Regina.

A heavy sigh slipped from Regina's nose.

She could feel Emma holding her breath.

“Emma-”

“I'm sorry-”

“No, I'm sorry.” Regina picked up the remote and paused the movie, her eyes remaining fixed on the frozen image on the screen “What you said earlier, you were right. I wouldn't have asked you to do something like that under normal circumstances. And since I'm sure that my brain is just fine, I have no excuse for why I did tonight. I can only ask you to forgive me and forget this ever happened.”

Regina was about to look over to see if she could decipher what Emma was thinking when the painfully long silence that had followed her words was broken.

“More Popcorn?”

A smile tugged at Regina's mouth.

“Extra butter.”

“Now you're just sucking up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Published: 14 06 2016 (14th, June)
> 
> I had hoped to have this up yesterday (which was ~48 minutes ago) to avoid it going a year+ between updates and might have made it if I hadn't been talked into watching what is quite possibly the stupidest film ever made.
> 
> Also, Unlike _How To Ring A Belle_ & _If You Go Down In The Woods Today_ , I haven't reviewed/revised this story before updating it. So whether you're re-reading it to refresh you memory or are reading this for the first time, please be aware that there may be some changes to earlier chapters (so far it's mostly just been typos and formatting with the a fore mentioned stories but there have been a few sections that underwent some significant changes).
> 
> That said, this also doesn't count towards my planned Once-A-Week update schedule as, again, I was hoping to beat the year+ update anniversary so expect _If You Go Down In The Woods Today_ to be updated sometime this week (hopefully by Friday).
> 
> One last note, the first half of this chapter has been more or less done for the better part of the last year and was even Beta-ed by one of my lovely readers (sorry, don't remember your name. I know I have it in a note somewhere so if/when I find it, I'll add it here [or you can give me a poke — and a hard one at that, I deserve it] and I'll edit this appropriately.
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and if you spot any typos, etc, please let me know.

**Author's Note:**

> The first chapter was a short story I wrote for my OUAT fanfic blog a while back (almost a year to the day) and in going over the account I decided to post it here. Now a much bigger story than I every planned it to be.


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